More User Reviews:

Poured into a snifter a deep dark brown with just a tinge of amber/brown,a thin quick to fade head atop.Aromas are a mix of big sweet molasses and juicy fruit malt,and big resiny pine hops.Hefty and sweet from the onset,molasses and alcohol dipped dark fruit, with sweet alcohol,the piny hops are big but it doesnt wrestle control away from the big sweetness.Its thick and mouth coating and goes down smooth.I like it but to me its not great,it is brash I have to say.

A: Pours a black color with a reddish-brown tint and a small, dark khaki head into my very large snifter. The lacing is really sticky and appears in the form of small dots and long vertical streaks. There are some interesting bubbles developing in the film left on top of the beer.

S: Many separate, but cogent aromas drift out of the glass. Big malty aromas of dark chocolate, caramel, and brown sugar fight for the spotlight with piney and grapefruit hops, as well as the presence of anise and maple syrup. (Is this one brewed in maple barrels?) Also, my nose twinges with alcoholic heat every sniff I take.

T: This is really confusing my palate. It is very sweet and tangy right off the bat, with some astringent chocolate flavors, but it also has an undercurrent of strongly bitter hops nipping at the back of my tongue and sides of the palate. The aftertaste is a mixture of sweeter citrus flavor on the tip of my tongue and dry grapefruit right on the middle of my tongue.

M: Nemesis '10 has a cloying medium feel with a strong bite and dry finish.

D: The high a.b.v. is not very noticeable in the taste, which certainly helps its drinkability. I am certainly going to have repeat tastings of this as it matures with age.

Latte foam is unwavering; the brew is nearly black as well. Nose is filled with pine sap, mint, citric peel, tobacco, ripe plums and thick caramel. So lush and creamy, a silky carbonation caresses the palate. At first, the taste buds register this as a massive malt bomb, as a thick slab of caramel sweetness is smacked down. Thankfully, the alcohol and hops had kickass duty with an estery warmth and peppery citric peel-ladened hop character. It's tough to balance a bigger beer like this, though Founders hits their mark here. Possible cellar pick, but the freshness now is too good to wait for.

Pours into my glass a deep dark garnet brown that borders on black when you view it from a distance. A quarter inch of khaki head on top leaves some splotchy lacing as it falls. Aromas start off with dark fruits and toffee melding with some roast, coffee and cocoa. Piney, herbal hops make themselves known alongside dense malts.

First sip brings smooth, dense malts upfront with tons of dark fruits, toffee and roast. Notes of cocoa and coffee combine in as the brew flows down with a good hit of bitterness from pine resiny hops. Sweetness is there but is well balanced. Alcohol is well hidden also. Tasty dark barleywine.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with good carbonation. Pretty easy to drink considering the ABV on this one. Overall, another tasty treat from Founders and a nice twist on a standard barleywine. Borderline on the price for this one though.

Dark, it looks more like a stout than a barleywine. Granted this one's been sittin' for a couple years now, but there's little head to speak of. The nose is a leathery, licorice molasses. It smells like it would ooze instead of pour.

It tastes like a stout--the black licorice IS there--and it's a little figgy if ya ask me. The burn is there like a barleywine brings, but it's still more of a stout than anything else. 100 IBUs? Guess those went by the wayside these last 700-ish days. Must've saved this one in large part because I simply don't like it. Maybe it's past its prime, but this one's forgettable for me.

Medium body has a surprisingly smooth feel and a restrained carbonation. Definitely some alcohol heat here.

Taste opens with subtle dark roasty notes and dark fruits, seguing into a major league hop bitterness that is mostly pine but edged with citrus. Toasted caramel and a malty nuttiness add more depth. Alcohol warmth is obvious and adds a whiskey note.

More complex than the 2009 Nemesis but seems a lot boozier. Still, a very interesting and worthwhile experience.

12 ounce bottle acquired at DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY.
Pours very dark amber, dense in its intensity, firm in its conviction. Next to no head, but some fine lace dected on the glass on close inspection.
Nose of embers of rum raisin, smoke, and peat, that follows through onto the palate, tongue, mouth and throat. In the finish, more smoke, some vanilla and malty goodness seal the deal.

When I first poured this and held it to the light I actually said "woah". It's so dark! Trying to think of a darker barleywine, and I'm not sure any come to mind. Smells of lots n lots of malt, and dark fruits. Lots of fig, and..chocolate? Smells boozi as well. Obviously detection of hops. Huge nose. Taste is big as well. Very malty and figgy. Slightly hoppy. Very sweet. Red grapes, then the finishing layers are chocolate followed by coffee. Bourbon is noticeable, and well blended into the rest of the beer. Sipping isn't consistent. Some sips taste awesome, others taste like a hot mess, this is why I gave it a 4.0. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, smooth. Very enjoyable beer. Not sure I could drink a ton of it only because of how sweet it is, but very nice.

At Founders in GR. Almost as dark as the breakfast stout, but with some ruby hilights. The head is white and laces nicely as it settles. The nose is quite sweet and rich, but the flavor comes across nicely balanced - big and chewy, and certainly sweet, but with some nice citrusy hops. The flavor arc runs smoothly fromthe sweet, effervescent front to the refreshing finish with no bumps in between.

Drinkability: Interesting and fascinating beer that straddles the line between a Barleywine and a Black IPA. Reminds me of Surly Darkness or Goose Island Nightstalker but with the malt center of a Barleywine. Despite its strengths, it is not something I feel a strong desire to return to.